Parables, Sower, Sower, Explanation
Matthew 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Matthew 13:18 Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
You yourselves, certainly! Listen to the analogy of the one seeding.
The initial word here is the second-person pronoun in the form of a subject. Since this information is part of the verb, this pronoun is used only for emphasis. Since this isn't need, not even in English for a verbal command, which is the form of the verb here, this beginning of this verse, "You yourselves, certainly!" seems like the answer to unrecorded question (see Unrecorded Question Theory).
The verb "sowing" is translated as a noun "sower," but the verb means specifically to sow seeds so or "to seed." It is from the same root as the noun "seed."
- MW -- Missing Word -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "you yourselves."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "therefore" is better translated as "certainly."
- UW - Untranslated Word -- The word "parables" means "analogy." It is the untranslated Greek word adopted into English through Latin.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "sower" is a noun but a participle, "seeding" or "sowing."
- MW -- Missing Word -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "you yourselves."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "then" is better translated as "certainly."
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "to what" doesn't exist in the source.
- UW - Untranslated Word -- The word "parables" means "analogy." It is the untranslated Greek word adopted into English through Latin.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "sower" is a noun but a participle, "seeding" or "sowing."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "means" doesn't exist in the source.
Hear - "Hear" is translated from a Greek word that has the same sense as the English not only of listening but of understanding. However, it is in the form of a command, which in English would be "Listen."
ye - (MW) The "ye" is the subject of the sentence, but the pronoun is never required in Greek, just like it isn't needed for a command in English. It is used for emphasis so the sense is more like "you yourselves."
therefore -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly," "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative, "then," "therefore." Jesus seems to use in its emphasis form.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
parable - (UW) "Parable" is Greek for "analogy," "comparison," and "illustration." It doesn't mean simply "educational story" as it has come to mean in English. The fact that Christ speaks in analogies and illustrations is critical in understanding His words.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
the - -- The word translated as "those" is the Greek definite article, which when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
sower. -- (WF) "Sower" is from the verb meaning "to sow," which itself is a verbal form of the Greek word for "seed." However, here, the verb is in the form of a noun describing a person spreading seeds, so "the one spreading seeds. ""Seeds" are Christ's symbol for knowledge or the beginning of knowledge.
Listen - "Listen " is translated from a Greek word that has the same sense as the English not only of listening but of understanding. However, it is in the form of a command, which in English would be "Listen."
missing "you yourselves" -- (MW) The untranslated word "your yourselves" is the subject of the sentence, but the pronoun is never required in Greek, just like it isn't needed for a command in English. It is used for emphasis so the sense is more like "you yourselves."
then -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly," "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative, "then," "therefore." Jesus seems to use in its emphasis form.
to what -- -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "to what" in the Greek source.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
parable - (UW) "Parable" is Greek for "analogy," "comparison," and "illustration." It doesn't mean simply "educational story" as it has come to mean in English. The fact that Christ speaks in analogies and illustrations is critical in understanding His words.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
the - -- The word translated as "those" is the Greek definite article, which when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
sower. -- (WF) "Sower" is from the verb meaning "to sow," which itself is a verbal form of the Greek word for "seed." However, here, the verb is in the form of a noun describing a person spreading seeds, so "the one spreading seeds. ""Seeds" are Christ's symbol for knowledge or the beginning of knowledge.
means -- -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "means" in the Greek source.
Ὑμεῖς (2nd pl nom) "Ye" is from hymeis (humeis), which is the plural nominative form of the second person, "you."
οὖν (partic)"Therefore" is from oun, which means "certainly," "in fact," "really," "in fact," "so" and "then" (continuing a narrative), and "then" and "therefore." -- The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly," "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative.
ἀκούσατε (verb 2nd pl aor imperat act) "Ye hear" is from akouo, which means "hear of," "hear tell of," "what one actually hears," "know by hearsay," "listen to," "give ear to," "hear and understand," and "understand."
τὴν (article sg fem acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
παραβολὴν (noun sg fem acc) "Parable" is from parabolê (parabole), which means "comparison," "illustration," and "analogy." It is most often translated in the NT as "parable" but occasionally as "comparison."
τοῦ (article sg masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which, when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
σπείραντος.(part sg pres act masc gen) "Sower" is from speirô, which is a verb, not a noun. It means "to sow seed," "to scatter like seed," and "to beget offspring. All of these shades of meaning are at work here.
“But who are these lucky ones?” the person asked.
“You yourselves, certainly!” responded the Master, indicate those who had come to hear him.
“But I often don’t understand what I am hearing, like your story of the seeding,” the person complained.
“Listen to the analogy of the one seeding,” said the Master patiently.